With the latest release by Blackmore's Night, Dancer And The Moon, this remarkable band continues to push the boundaries as music mixologists with their unique blend of Rock, New Age, Progressive Rock, and Folk with a twist of neo-Celtic and neo-Medieval to finish it off. Led by the legendary Ritchie Blackmore on strings and with the vocal prowess of Candice Night, this singer / songwriting duo have paired for another winning release.

Dancer And The Moon: Think It's Going To Rain Today; Troika; The Last Leaf; Lady In Black; Minstrels In The Hall; Temple Of The Ring; Dancer And The Moon; Galliard; The Ashgrove; Somewhere Over the Sea (The Moon is Shining); The Moon is Shining (Somewhere Over the Sea); The Spinner's Tale; Carry On...Jon

The release opens with cover of Think It's Going to Rain Today, written by Randy Newman, infusing their signature mixture of rock, folk, against a Celtic measure as they add new elements and cut their own signature on this classic. The track Troika uses a Russian folk melody coupled with a lively arrangement that rides on a steady drum and bass line.

The track The Last Leaf is a beautiful track with a neo-Medieval feel featuring the vocal prowess of Candice Night against the melodic guitar strumming by Ritchie Blackmore; the song casts a mystical sensation that is sure to become a fan favorite.

Being a long time fan of Uriah Heep, I loved what Blackmore's Night did with the cover of the Uriah Heep song Lady In Black. The song has a simple melody but with Candice's vocals and the band's Renaissance flair they capture the directness and the mystical/magical flavor that made it a Uriah Heep classic.

Minstrel's in the Hall is an instrumental written in the tempo of dance music in the 1500's and it shows that music does not age as this is a catchy tune no matter what century, especially when you add in the musicianship that rings from Ritchie's fingers. The track Temple of the Ring was written by Ritchie Blackmore and Ronnie James Dio in 1976 for their band Rainbow, and with Candice's vocals and Ritchie's guitar work they strike the perfect chord in memory of their deceased friend and band mate, Ronnie James Dio.

The title track Dancer And The Moon reflects the band's connection to the moon, its pull, its legend, and its magic. A fast paced track that blends in all the components that is Blackmore's Night, Folk, Classic Rock, New Age, Progressive Rock, neo-Medieval, and more; this is the band at their best, and having had the opportunity to hear the, perform live, it rocks the house (read the Performances section of Luxury Experience - Blackmore's Night at Paramount Hudson Valley, Peekskill, NY, USA).

The track The Ashgrove is a neo-Medieval tempo featuring Candice's engaging vocals, great lyrics, and set against a mesmerizing arrangement. The tracks Somewhere Over the Sea (The Moon is Shining) and The Moon is Shining (Somewhere Over the Sea) were created as a set that presents two "looks" at a song based on an old Czech melody; the track Somewhere Over the Sea is a ballad that is spectacular in its own right, and is presented in the format that the Czech melody was written for. While the version, The Moon is Shining, is presented with a progressive rock / new age signature, and it strikes out on its own with a powerful and driving arrangement.

The release includes other tracks like Galliard, an instrumental that was reworked by Ritchie Blackmore to project a more up-tempo arrangement, and he succeeded with a masterful song, and the track Spinner's Tale, a ballad with a neo-Celtic, Rock, and Folk infusion.

The release closes with Carry On... Jon, a track written in memory of Ritchie Blackmore's band mate and friend from his days with the band Deep Purple, Jon Lord. No lyrics are needed as the guitar sings with each riff and chord of the feelings and compassion that Ritchie felt for the legendary Jon Lord, "Carry On... Jon."